Recurrent Miscarriage Thread

[everything]

hi everything, sorry for your losses. does your country have a clinic that can do testing on you to check for immune issues, blood clotting issues, etc? that's usually the first step but most places won't do it until after 3 consecutive losses (i had mine done after 2 losses but then I had 2 more after that and then twins from IUI and stim meds). I got preg easy but would keep having early miscarriages.
what country are you in?

so are they closely monitoring your cycle w/internal ultrasounds and all of that stuff? are you only doing a monitored cycle and then timed intercourse or are you actually doing IVF?

I'm in Iceland so there is only one IVF clinic that does infertility tests and I'll get my program from them tomorrow but we requested to go straight to IVF and not do the stimulation + timed intercourse. The loose plan is that I'll be on progesterone supplements during the first 12 weeks if I get pregnant from the IVF and I'll go for a blood test in the next few weeks to measure my TPO value (thyroid antibody) since I'm hypothyroid and I wanted them to check this for Hasimoto since he said that they would consider putting me on steroids if that was the case.

 

[praying2bamum]

Hello, I am sorry to hear about all the miscarriages you all have experienced. I am 31 years old and have had two-1 when I was 26 which was only considered a chemical pregnancy (sac but no heartbeat) although I passed the sac naturally. My second miscarriage was at 14 weeks in 2014. I was referred to a fertility specialist and tested for tons of things. The only thing that came back positive Ureaplasma (a vaginal bacterial infection). My hubby and I took antibiotics 3 times and have not been able to rid of it. Just found out yesterday I tested positive again for Ureaplasma.
There are some doctors that feel this infection is linked to several miscarriages but many don't ever get tested for this because doctors don't feel there is substantial evidence to support Ureaplasma caused infertility or premature labor. Please do yourself a favor and test for this if you've had multiple miscarriages. It can be as simple as taking antibiotics and getting retested to ensure the infection is gone. I am not that lucky because I have not been able to fight it off but I hope this helps someone else to at least cross this off your list. There is not much information on this and it is frustrating for those of us going through it.

 

[Hope39]

Hello, I am sorry to hear about all the miscarriages you all have experienced. I am 31 years old and have had two-1 when I was 26 which was only considered a chemical pregnancy (sac but no heartbeat) although I passed the sac naturally. My second miscarriage was at 14 weeks in 2014. I was referred to a fertility specialist and tested for tons of things. The only thing that came back positive Ureaplasma (a vaginal bacterial infection). My hubby and I took antibiotics 3 times and have not been able to rid of it. Just found out yesterday I tested positive again for Ureaplasma.
There are some doctors that feel this infection is linked to several miscarriages but many don't ever get tested for this because doctors don't feel there is substantial evidence to support Ureaplasma caused infertility or premature labor. Please do yourself a favor and test for this if you've had multiple miscarriages. It can be as simple as taking antibiotics and getting retested to ensure the infection is gone. I am not that lucky because I have not been able to fight it off but I hope this helps someone else to at least cross this off your list. There is not much information on this and it is frustrating for those of us going through it.

Hey

I had the life code 7in1 test after my 6th Mmc which tests for this plus other infections and mine came back positive for urea plasma . My OH and I took the antibiotics but I didn't have a retest

I then carried my next pregnancy to 27w but lost him after 3 days in nicu, I do now have a little boy who has just turned 1.

The U.K. Don't routinely test for this, I had to send a sample off to Greece x

 

[dairymomma]

I was tested for this as well though my naturopath was the one ordering the testing. My OB didn't think there was anything to worry about as I had no signs. I had an infection (I can't remember if it was ureaplasma but it was def in that realm of stuff) but I did have luck treating it with herbs and natural medicine. I know naturapathy is not for everyone but if you can't get rid of it with antibiotics, perhaps that's another option for you to look into? FX you can find a solution soon and you get that lucky rainbow baby!

 

[floridamomma]

Hi ladies. I've been Mia a while. Trying to read and catch. Many new faces(so sorry. I saw about the nk cell discussion. I'm in the US. Most all Drs here refuse to even test for high nk cells. As squig said they are a normal occurrence in the body but for some women they can go on high alert. Also if your immune system tends to be overreactive(prior to this pg I always had swollen lymphs and high wbc for no reason) I changed up my diet and that all got better. Don't know if it helped. I tried steroids with an iui but that still ended in a mc. Intralipids ive heard good things about but if that's your problem. One of the biggest things I've heard too is about infections in the uterus. I saw a acupuncturist who put me on some herbs to regulate my cycle and there were things coming out of me that felt and looked like I was miscarrying though I hadn't miscarried for almost 9-10 months prior! Also after that I begin to feel when I ovulated. I never had that before. Mid cycle id get pain in one ovary or or the other it wasn't until I was reading dairy's journal one day I realized it was o! Other than that I just prayed and gave it to God. I have never received any explanation for my mcs(6 possibly 7). All very early. I do recommend getting an OB or RE you trust. The one we went with said your healthy he's healthy. You had kids in the past. There's no reason to explain it. Get ivf(no way we could afford it I'd rather adopt and know we'll get a child) or get a gestational carrier(again how?). But under his advice we did iui. If you don't vibe well with a physician (and you have the option) find another or speak up. I really regret that whole experience. Sorry it's a lot just thought I'd update on the things I've done different and info I've gathered.

 

[Trying4first1]

Hey ladies
I haven't been around for a while for personal reasons. I only log on to B and B occasionally.
Anyway my last MMC was back in January and me and DH are still TTC. Getting very frustrated as it looks like another long conception time again.
Anyway on the bright side I have been asked to be referred to the Tommys Miscarriage centre in London (St Mary's). This was 3 weeks ago so I am still waiting to hear to see if I have an appointment.
Has anyone here had any experience withSt Marys? How were the waiting times? Were they dismissive or more through with testing?
MY NHS tests came back clear but I am not convinced all is normal. My acupuncturist says i have high NK cells.

 

[dairymomma]

Trying4first-I feel you on the long conception. We had a 1 year wtt but there were a few oopsies toward the end that I would have gotten pg on if it had been two years ago and we've been ttc/ntnp for 5 cycles now with only a few really bad dye runs and far too many bfns to show for it.
Anyway, I'm no help on the wait time on your appt as I'm in the States but maybe someone else can help with that?
And how did you have your NK cells tested? I've never had it done because my dr doesn't think it's an issue but I know there are two different ways to test for elevated NK cells. It's possible that you have elevated cells but it didn't show up on the test you had done. And I've also found that the naturopathic ways of testing for things can find problems that won't necessarily show up on other forms of testing. I was testing low on folate years before my doctor ran my MTHFR test and proved I was low.

 

[floridamomma]

Trying- there are drs(I remember reading it in here) that can you send you a collection kit to test your menstrual blood for no cells as some of your lining sheds each month. My re wouldn't test said protocol is steroids and lovenox anyway (am also in states). Some people have used Iv immunoglobulin or intralipids as well. Which to me are like steroids hopped on on crack. It really suppresses the immune system if by chance it's your body doing the rejecting. Also I second naturopath/acupuncturist.

 

[ReadynWaiting]

Florida and Dairy- talk to me about your ND and all the tests they have run. I see a ND who does Accupuncture weekly on me and has given me supplements based on her assessment of how I'm feeling, what my body is doing, etc. I haven't had any tests through her as I had Bloodwork done prior that she analyzed (thyroid panel, AMH, FSH, progesterone). I still have to get the RI Bloodwork done but it's not covered so I've been waiting. I will do it in the next month.
Trying- I understand how you are feeling. After 6 losses last year and in to this year we are now on cycle 6 since the last one. The frustration is massive!! I'm also interested to know how your acupuncturist determined high Nk cells. I have a high histamine reaction every time and was wondering if the 2 go together?

 

[dairymomma]

Trying-It's hard to say what all my naturopath has done/found because it changes so much and it's often been something that isn't directly fertility related. But we have found I'm chronically low in folate (which we now know is due to my MTHFR mutation), my hormones were incredibly screwed up earlier on and still go wonky periodically-stress is a BIG reason for this, I tend to need supplements for blood clotting or other bleeding related issues (again this is likely due to my MTHFR) and I have had a slight thyroid imbalance in the past which we fixed a few years ago-this was actually documented by my OB/GYN. I had a thyroid test done after one of my early miscarriages and my TSH was over 2 at the time. My doctor wasn't concerned though and I didn't know that it was too high until the last year when I was going through my medical records for another test result. However, my ND had found my thyroid needed support and had put me on a thyroid supplement in the meantime. My next TSH was 1.2 and it hasn't changed from that unless I've been pg since. As for how my ND tests me, he uses muscle resistance testing to see what my body thinks is the main priority for 'fixing' and chooses the supplements/treatments the same way. Different practitioners use different testing methods and I've seen an ND who uses accupressure and a computer to find the source of the body imbalance as well as the necessary treatments, an ND who simply put her hands on my belly/low back and felt the 'current' going thru me to figure out what I needed (this was just a chance encounter in a hallway and I happened to ask her about doing a phone consult but she did a five minute energy test and answered my question then/there), and an ND who wanted me to do a mineral hair test before doing a phone consultation with the results. I've talked to a homeopathic doctor, numerous chiropractors, and an accupressurist. I've run the gamut of natural testing at this point but I will say I've seen the best results with the ND I started with and continue to see today. My best advice is to go with your gut instincts and if you trust that your ND is doing the best they can and you are okay with their methods, then stick with it. It's been eight years since I started seeing my ND and it's taken a VERY long time to get some of my issues sorted out because natural medicine isn't a quick fix. It's taken two YEARS of monthly chiropractic appts and naturopathic appts to get my back pain taken care of and my fertility issues have shown up periodically because of the nature of my issues and because we've had to stop treatments due to pregnancy. My 1.5 year break has been a blessing in that regard.

I'm sorry if this reply turned into a novel but I have been in your shoes and I know what it's like to have no answers and nothing seems to be working. Hang in there and if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Tasha]

Florida you've got two different tests mixed up. The menstrual blood was for a deep infection (urea plasma) in the womb. NKC is done via either a uterine biopsy (scraping in the womb lining) or a normal blood test.

 

[floridamomma]

sorry ladies. Thanks for clearing that up Tasha. Maybe that's why re refused to do it for me then?

 

[sophiedaphne]

Hi everyone,
I hope that it is ok for me to post here. We've had two miscarriages so far and just started a bunch of testing to find out what's going on. Just wanted to say hello... I've been having a hard time coping these days and needed someplace to go. I appreciate it. -SD

 

[LacePrincess]

hi everyone,

New to this thread. We just found out we will be having our fifth loss in a row. My fourth loss in the last 13 months. I haven't m/c'ed yet, but my last scan at 8w showed an embryo measuring only 6w2d and hb 48. Now we're just waiting for the hb to fade so we can induce with Cytotec.

I've had a few chemicals, early losses, a MMC. First time seeing heartbeat in any of my losses so it's been especially difficult, and waiting and wondering what will happen now is driving me insane.

We have done all the RPL testing, and there's no explanation for the recurrent loss, except that we suspect my DH has very poor sperm so it's creating a lot of aneuploid embryos. My RE can suggest nothing other than to keep trying which is really making us feel hopeless after 5 consecutive losses!

Just looking for some stories of hope......from anyone who's had 5+ losses......I need to know that even after so many, there's still hope for my rainbow. I'd go through a dozen losses if I had to if I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Hope39]

Hi lace

I'm sorry for your losses xx

I hope I can give you a little bit of hope, I had 6 missed miscarriages followed by a 27w neo natal loss , followed by a pregnancy that I carried to 36+4, he turned 1 a few weeks ago so i finally brought a rainbow home

Where are you based? What Rpl tests have you actually had , sometimes something has been missed, nk cells testing is fairly new and a nit many consultants believe in them being a problem but they were for me. I started treating high nk cells after my 6th loss . I had two boys under the treatment plan but lost Isaac in nicu , I had a placental abruption so totally unrelated

Zxo

 

[hope2016]

My LMP was 8/14/16, on September 15 I had positive home pregnancy tests. On 9/17 and 9/18 I had light spotting and mild cramping, nothing severe. Notified my OB on 9/19. Order for Quant HCG every 2 days to monitor trend. First draw on 9/19 was 119 (accurate for my 5 weeks since LMP). On 9/21, level dropped to 104. Was told by OB I was miscarrying and to expect period like bleeding, as well as to draw HCG weekly to make sure it drops to normal levels. Bleeding never happened. What has happened since is I know have morning sickness every day and mild edema in my feet. Went in for my weekly draw today (9/26), level is now 600. Dr. cannot tell me why level jumped and why I now have pregnancy symptoms when I didn't before. I understand it could be ectopic pregnancy, just wondering if anyone else had a level drop and then a healthy pregnancy? I am wondering about vanishing twin, which I have read can cause your level to drop initially and then rise again when your body realizes there is still one viable baby left. Just so upset because my doctor will not change me back to checking every 48 hours to monitor, I have to wait until next Monday to check my level and know what is going on.

 

[LacePrincess]

Hi lace

I'm sorry for your losses xx

I hope I can give you a little bit of hope, I had 6 missed miscarriages followed by a 27w neo natal loss , followed by a pregnancy that I carried to 36+4, he turned 1 a few weeks ago so i finally brought a rainbow home

Where are you based? What Rpl tests have you actually had , sometimes something has been missed, nk cells testing is fairly new and a nit many consultants believe in them being a problem but they were for me. I started treating high nk cells after my 6th loss . I had two boys under the treatment plan but lost Isaac in nicu , I had a placental abruption so totally unrelated

Zxo

Thanks Hope, your story does give me hope. I'm very sorry to hear about your losses. Though I really REALLY hope I don't have to go through a late loss to get my rainbow!

I've had all the thrombophilia tests, Factor V Leiden, Lupus Anticoagulant, APS, APA, thyroid a bunch of times. A bunch of saline sonos. We're waiting for karyotyping test results (which apparently takes 6 MONTHS).

In Canada they don't seem to believe in NK cells at all, so I can't get that. We still need to do the DNA frag test on DH's sperm.

I've tried taking ASA and progesterone, and using methylfolate instead of folic acid in case I had the MFTHR mutation (which my RE also doesn't believe in) and none of that helped.

I think another reason they don't think NK cells are a factor for me anyways, is that we have living children together. I'm leaning towards aneuploids being our main problem. This last one was pretty classically aneuploid - low betas, behind on every scan, really slow heartrate.

How do you treat NK cells?

 

[dairymomma]

sophiedaphne-Hello and I'm so sorry for your losses. You are most welcome here. Ask any questions you may have and we'll do our best to answer them.

LacePrincess-Hi and I'm sorry your find yourself here too. RMC is such a trying thing to go through and when you don't have any concrete answers is even more difficult. I'm going to be nosy and ask the same stuff Hope did-what tests have you had done/are doing, where are you located, and what treatments have you tried thus far, if any?

And to let you know there is indeed hope, my history is long but hopeful at the end. I have the MTHFR gene mutation which leads to folate deficiency and clotting issues. I've also had history of low progesterone and hCG levels in early pregnancy, and I've had bleeding in the first tri as well as clots in the uterus for half of my pg. I have had 10 miscarriages total (5 blighted ovums, 4 m/c at 8-9.5 wks, and a 14 wk m/c) with 3 rainbows sprinkled in between. I've been on progesterone (bfp til 14 weeks) and baby aspirin (bfp til delivery) for my rainbows but we found out a year ago that I have MTHFR and since some of my losses are known to be caused by a clot near the placenta, we added blood thinning injections and high dose folate to my treatment plan.

 

[floridamomma]

Sophie- hello so sorry that you have joined us here

Lace- I'm sorry you've joined us here. I had 3 littles very early on in life. Then between dec 2012-March 2015 I had 6 losses(dh is a new marriage). I've had all testing done all normal. Dh only had a small test done during an iui. They just said looks good. I am currently 21+4 with a rainbow pregnancy. We had no explanation from our RE. He did put me on steroids and lovenox during the pregnancy with iui and said its the same tx he would give he knew for certain I had high nk cells. That pregnancy ended in a miscarriage.

 

[LacePrincess]

dairymomma - thank you. We're in Canada, we've done the full thrombophilia panel for all the clotting factors (Lupus Anticoaguluant, ASA, Factor V Leiden, etc). Full thyroid panel a bunch of times. All normal. A few saline sonos. DH has done the usual SA's including Krugur (low morph). We've had samples taken for karyotype, still awaiting those results. My RE doesn't believe in MFTHR but I took extra methylfolate on my own, baby aspirin and Prometrium. None of that made a difference.

We've done a bunch of Femara cycles (all my bfp's with the losses have been on Femara), two failed IVF's, one failed IUI. I plan on asking my RE for the DNA frag test next.

I even asked about steroids and Lovenox, but because none of my RPL tests came back abnormal for clotting stuff they absolutely won't give me any blood thinners. But I actually agree with them because I'm pretty convinced all signs point to repeating aneuploids since I've never had normal scans (they've always measured behind).

Your story does give me hope! I can keep trying if I just know it's possible to get a rainbow without changing anything at this point. I can hang on for that.


floridamomma - congratulations on your rainbow! Your story gives me a lot of hope, with our very similar # of losses and unexplained too. It feels like a lot of the RPL stories I read, people get their rainbows after at most 3 losses, so I've felt really depressed that it'll never happen when we're on loss #5. But I'm really glad it happened for you, I really hope that can be me soon. We really can't afford IVF/PGS anymore and that's the only great solution that's left, so it was really hard to accept we might be done. But your story helps me a lot!